Chicago O'Hare International to Fresno Yosemite International ORD → FAT
1,500 nautical miles (1,726 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 269°, about 272° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 15 h at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 20-knot headwind), arriving about 1:35 pm PDT (20:35 UTC). For planning, not a briefing: the legal preflight briefing comes from Flight Service (1-800-WX-BRIEF) or the FAA's own tools. Airlines fly this pair: 385 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.
The route the straight line, the warnings crossed, restrictions, pilot reports and the airports along the way · click a mark for its words
Green, blue, red and purple airport dots are the flying conditions reported there now (VFR, marginal VFR, IFR, low IFR); grey means no report. Red areas are SIGMETs, orange areas AIRMETs, hatched red areas temporary flight restrictions. Map tiles: OpenFreeMap, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Warnings the route crosses SIGMETs and AIRMETs whose area the line passes through or comes within 25 nm of
- SIGMET W14W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 28,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 1:55 am CDT (06:55 UTC). Near the route, 1390 nm along the route.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120455 MKCW WST 120455 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 14W VALID UNTIL 0655Z NV FROM 40NW BVL-20WNW ELY-20SSE OAL-40WNW OAL-50NE BAM-40NW BVL AREA TS MOV FROM 24020KT. TOPS TO FL280.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the route from 110 to 680 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Over the route from 660 to 1110 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 700 to 1340 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the route from 800 to 960 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 890 to 1270 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 970 to 1290 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Near the route, 1370 nm along the route.
A SIGMET warns of weather hazardous to all aircraft; an AIRMET of weather that matters to small aircraft and to flying without instruments. "From 60 to 180 nm out" is measured along the route from ORD.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
Not fetched just now.
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 02:00–09:00 UTC · at 120 knots true airspeed
The westbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: even thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 13 forecast points nearest it (JOT, DBQ, DSM, OMA, GRI, GLD, BFF, DEN, GJT, BCE, ELY, BIH, FAT). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 230° at 26 kt | +22 kt | 21 °C | 98 kt | 15 h 18 min | 1:53 pm PDT (20:53 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 240° at 24 kt | +21 kt | 16 °C | 99 kt | 15 h 09 min | 1:44 pm PDT (20:44 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 230° at 23 kt | +20 kt | 10 °C | 100 kt | 15 h | 1:35 pm PDT (20:35 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 230° at 24 kt | +21 kt | 5 °C | 99 kt | 15 h 09 min | 1:44 pm PDT (20:44 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | +22 kt | 2 °C | 98 kt | 15 h 18 min | 1:53 pm PDT (20:53 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 27 kt | +24 kt | -3 °C | 96 kt | 15 h 38 min | 2:13 pm PDT (21:13 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 30 kt | +26 kt | -7 °C | 94 kt | 15 h 57 min | 2:32 pm PDT (21:32 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 32 kt | +28 kt | -10 °C | 92 kt | 16 h 18 min | 2:53 pm PDT (21:53 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 40 kt | +36 kt | -21 °C | 84 kt | 17 h 51 min | 4:26 pm PDT (23:26 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 49 kt | +45 kt | -31 °C | 75 kt | 20 h | 6:35 pm PDT (01:35 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 52 kt | +51 kt | -37 °C | 69 kt | 21 h 44 min | 8:19 pm PDT (03:19 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 51 kt | +51 kt | -46 °C | 69 kt | 21 h 44 min | 8:19 pm PDT (03:19 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 00:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 06:00 UTC for use 02:00 to 09:00 UTC; temperatures above 24,000 ft are below zero. Heights are above sea level; a height is left out when the forecast has no wind for it over most of the line (the ground is higher). Ground speed is the airspeed less the headwind; the time en route is for the straight line and ignores climb, descent and routing around weather.
The forecast points as issued
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOT | used from 0 nm out; 30 nm from the line | 250/23 | 270/22 15° | 250/16 10° | 240/9 4° | 280/22 -7° | 280/29 -19° | 300/29 -34° | 290/50 -43° | 300/64 -52° |
| DBQ | used from 50 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 230/33 | 250/30 16° | 280/15 9° | 260/15 5° | 260/21 -7° | 260/24 -20° | 250/37 -33° | 270/42 -43° | 280/63 -52° |
| DSM | used from 200 nm out; 36 nm from the line | 230/40 | 250/33 17° | 250/18 12° | 240/17 5° | 260/28 -8° | 270/34 -19° | 260/41 -33° | 260/55 -41° | 270/62 -51° |
| OMA | used from 300 nm out; 38 nm from the line | 220/47 | 240/33 19° | 250/18 11° | 230/17 6° | 260/29 -8° | 250/33 -19° | 250/51 -33° | 260/61 -40° | 270/62 -49° |
| GRI | used from 400 nm out; 51 nm from the line | 230/35 21° | 230/23 13° | 220/20 7° | 240/25 -8° | 240/37 -20° | 250/49 -33° | 260/57 -38° | 260/58 -47° | |
| GLD | used from 600 nm out; 91 nm from the line | 230/49 | 230/42 15° | 220/26 8° | 240/18 -7° | 230/27 -21° | 240/62 -30° | 240/61 -35° | 250/57 -47° | |
| BFF | used from 650 nm out; 77 nm from the line | 180/28 | 220/33 15° | 210/31 7° | 230/32 -9° | 220/41 -21° | 220/40 -33° | 240/47 -36° | 250/54 -46° | |
| DEN | used from 700 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 240/21 14° | 250/44 6° | 220/49 -8° | 220/49 -21° | 230/54 -30° | 240/57 -35° | 240/49 -45° | ||
| GJT | used from 850 nm out; 85 nm from the line | 210/43 7° | 230/45 1° | 220/49 -12° | 220/62 -22° | 220/59 -28° | 230/60 -33° | 220/55 -45° | ||
| BCE | used from 1050 nm out; 95 nm from the line | 220/27 -1° | 210/40 -13° | 220/54 -21° | 220/64 -30° | 220/64 -34° | 220/52 -44° | |||
| ELY | used from 1200 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 200/39 3° | 210/27 -2° | 210/45 -15° | 220/56 -24° | 210/60 -28° | 210/63 -34° | 220/61 -43° | ||
| BIH | used from 1300 nm out; 102 nm from the line | L/V | 240/7 1° | 190/13 -3° | 200/26 -16° | 210/43 -26° | 220/54 -28° | 220/51 -35° | 220/47 -43° | |
| FAT | used from 1450 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 130/16 | 160/20 5° | 190/28 -1° | 210/25 -5° | 220/27 -15° | 230/21 -26° | 220/42 -29° | 220/44 -35° | 220/44 -44° |
The weather now: both ends and the airports along the way public airports with a weather report within 25 nm of the line, one for each stretch
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORD Chicago, IL | departure | no report just now | 680 ft | ||||
| DPA Chicago/West Chicago, IL | 20 nm out, 6 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 758 ft | ||||
| CID Cedar Rapids, IA | 170 nm out, 2 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 869 ft | ||||
| OMA Omaha, NE | 360 nm out, 15 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 984 ft | ||||
| GRI Grand Island, NE | 470 nm out, 21 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,847 ft | ||||
| STK Sterling, CO | 700 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 4,037 ft | ||||
| FNL Fort Collins/Loveland, CO | 780 nm out, 6 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,020 ft | ||||
| EEO Meeker, CO | 910 nm out, 12 nm north of the line | no report just now | 6,415 ft | ||||
| FOM Fillmore, UT | 1130 nm out, 6 nm north of the line | no report just now | 4,984 ft | ||||
| BIH Bishop, CA | 1430 nm out, 10 nm north of the line | no report just now | 4,124 ft | ||||
| FAT Fresno, CA | destination | no report just now | 335 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,415 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At FAT when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:35 pm PDT (20:35 UTC)
FAT has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.
Daylight
Sunset at ORD 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC), at FAT 6:26 pm PDT (01:26 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:52 pm PDT (01:52 UTC)).
Each restriction opens the FAA's own page with the exact area, heights and times. Ordinary notices to air missions (closed runways, lights out) are not shown: the FAA's notice search is not open to sites like this one at this time.
Radar and forecast charts for the regions crossed government pictures, the latest each time the page loads
Sources: the Aviation Weather Center's data service (SIGMETs, AIRMETs, graphical AIRMETs, pilot reports, winds and temperatures aloft, observations and terminal forecasts), the National Weather Service radar, the Weather Prediction Center's charts, the FAA's temporary flight restriction list and shapes, and the FAA's airport file for the positions, elevations and magnetic variation. Fetched when the page is viewed and kept a few minutes. Each leg is the straight line between its two airports; airways, terrain and airspace are not considered. The airports in detail: Chicago O'Hare International, Fresno Yosemite International.